Matisyahu, the shame, and the blame game

Every Jew is a precious Neshomoh, and Matis is no exception. He certainly has a beautiful and versatile voice. Beyond that, I cannot comment.

Although everyone else may jump on the wagon of yea or nay, I really have no information on which to make a judgement. And neither do they.

I do not know whether his mashpia or mashpiim or shluchim he looked up to simply made a mistake, or they weighed dutifully their knowledge of his character and decided that his singing may lead him off, or his not being allowed to perform may lead him off.

I do not know whether the Shluchim who invited him to sing for them were relying on the judgement of his mentors, or simply didn't care. Knowing most of them, I think they relied on the judgement of his mentors. But I haven't asked them - how can I have an opinion?

What I see is that he has moved from strictly Lubavitcher notions in his songs, to Jewish notions, to universal notions - but still influenced by Yiddishkeit. He has not to my knowledge written or sung lyrics not in the spirit of Yiddishkeit. He has said that he moved from Chabad minhogim to general Jewish undefined Torah observance - which is still fine.

In fact, most Shluchim may now see this is an opportunity...

All I can truly say is, may Hashem bring a spirit upon him to protect him from completely losing his place.

The only lesson I can learn in truth, is to not voice opinions and condemnations when you have very little knowledge.

YU taken to task over David Berger

The Scandal of YU's Offensive Appointment

Courtesy of www.shmais.com.

A little hazy on the details, but a request at the same time polite yet forceful. Let the reign of defensiveness and apologetics end, let freedom of expression ring.

Did he or didn't he?

Sometimes you just can't catch a break from either side.

The Rebbe's attendance at university actually hampered his message that college campuses were dangerous places for a Jewish kid to be. Many times in private audience parents raised the issue, "but you attended college!" The Rebbe's reply invariably was that this made him the best judge of the harm the college environment causes. We know that this was not due to opposition to learning a skill, as he established vocational schools for learning a trade. The anti-religious and Bible-critical stance of major universities remains a negative influence on Jewish students attending college.

On the other hand, certain elements went out of their way to point out that whatever Lubavitchers had to say about the Rebbe attending college was a deliberate lie. If they said he was in Sorbonne, it was a lie. If they said he wore a yarmulke and a hat, it was a lie. They claim that Chabad promoted this claim to raise the secular world's admiration for the Rebbe. The earliest I actually remember this claim being raised publicly was in the book "Despite All Odds" of the late eighties, not published by Chabad.

The truth is: Who cares?

Let me make it clear that historical veracity is important, and we should know the precise details of the Rebbe's life when possible.

But truthfully, how does this impact the Rebbe's standing in the world? For over forty years the Rebbe was subject to the most intense public scrutiny. First by his students, who would stand honorary guard over his home during the scant hours a week that he spent there, certainly in his office located 20-30 feet away from the study hall of the Yeshivah, and later by the broader public. The Rebbe's conduct was the same at all times.

I could not care less if the Rebbe had spent the years before his Nesius in a secluded shack in Russia, or if he had spent them as a teacher in Yeshivah, or if he had spent them traveling the world fundraising, or if he had served as a public Chabad leader.

What I care about is the 40 years that the Rebbe chose to share with us, with me, at the cost of his health, his sleep, his family life and personal time. He cut short where he could in anything that did not affect his ability to offer himself to the Chasidim. If the Maamorim could not be written by the Rebbe, at least they were said. If Yechidus had to be stopped after 28 years, at least he could stand for hours for a brief moment with every Jew.

I did not see in a single moment I experienced with the Rebbe, in a single Maamar or Sichah I heard or learned of the Rebbe, in a single story of encouragement and demand of the Rebbe any influence of the Sorbonne. What I did see is the influence of the Rebbe on the Sorbonnes of the world, on Judaism in France, on the college students who found their spirituality in the Yeshivos.